That dreaded free 50 year old breast screen has potentially just saved my life!

I have recently turned 50 and retired from the teaching profession in preparation for my husband and I’s move overseas to Abu Dhabi for two years with his work. Well that letter came in the mail from Breast Screen WA, free mammogram, so I made the appointment for August 26. On the day I was feeling very anxious, people had said that it hurts, I told them how I was feeling and they reassured me that it is all going to be fine and that they would explain everything along the way. So I got through that unscaved and deciding that having bigger boobs must help, it was uncomfortable but not that bad. Four weeks later the letter arrived in the mail, before opening it I said ‘YAY!’, because they said to me at the clinic that if further treatment was required that I would get a phone call. For some reason I still opened it, these words just popped off the page, ‘further assessment needed’, I lost it and rang my hubby Tim straight away. He reassured me that it was going to be all fine and to just make the appointment, we want to get this all sorted before we leave.

My appointment was set for September 29 at 8.45 am at the Fiona Stanley Assessment Clinic. I caught the train up by myself thinking that it was going to be nothing. I arrived early and grabbed a cuppa to calm the nerves. Upon entry into the clinic I could already tell that the staff were going to be very pleasant and caring, they remember your face with your name straight away. I saw a nurse first who gave me the rundown and I was then given the beautiful purple and white patterned gown. I went through to have my second lot of mammograms and shortly after the ultrasound. Whilst undergoing the ultrasound I secretly noticed that the radiologist was spending a lot of time scanning one area of my right boob. I questioned him and he said that he was a little concerned. My heart skipped several beats and I got quite teary. Upon leaving the room and returning to the waiting area another lady asked me, ‘did you bring the pizzas?’ I took one look at her and burst into tears for I knew at this point in time that something was not right. She then asked, ‘are you ok?” I shook my head to say no, she was so apologetic and offered to get me a cuppa. I texted my husband to say that it was all going pear shaped, thankfully he dropped everything at work and rushed up to be by my side. About half an hour later I had a chat and physical examination with the physician Dr Judy Galloway, she is amazing I must say, who explained the situation, examined my boobs and tried to reassure me that it was all going to be ok. Tim arrived and shortly after we went through to have the core biopsies done in the right boob, the left boob would be done the following week. The same radiologist did the biopsies which was great and said that yes he was concerned about one area of my boob. Thank goodness for the local anaesthetics because they would have probably been pulling me down from the ceiling, Tim said the punches had to go in quite deep, five all up – three in one area and two in the other. It now almost confirmed for me in my heart that it was not looking good. Tim told me to be positive, but I just knew. A good glass of white was in stall for me that night.

We arrived back at the Breast Assessment Clinic at 3 pm the next day, September 30, where my BFF had also joined us. Tim and I were called through basically straight away; no time to ponder over the thoughts that would have gone around in my head if we had to wait. After the initial greetings, there was no time wasted in getting to the reason for us being there. My heart was pounding, my stomach was churning around like anything and my hand was sweating something chronic in Tim’s hand. Dr Galloway said that the area on the side of my boob was benign, relief, but the area of concern she said, ‘well there is no easy way of giving this news to you; but, yes you have Breast Cancer’. I just lost it and started balling my eyes out. ‘She went on to say, after I blew my nose several times and wiped away the tears, ‘you have a Stage 2, 22 mm Invasive Lobular Carcinoma and there are no early signs of the cancer spreading to the Lymph Nodes. Your ER’s and PR’s are positive which means that you will be going on the Hormonal Treatment Therapy program. Please do not panic, this is fully treatable and can be cured, it is lucky that we picked it up when we did.’ I was now a blubbering mess so Tim had to pick up all the pieces and ask the relevant questions. Together we chose to go with a female surgeon in Dr Wen Chan Yeow and the appointment to see her was made immediately for the next Thursday. After our thankyous and goodbyes we returned to the waiting area and I just collapsed into my BFF’s arms, I didn’t need to say anything, she just knew! It took me quite a while and a good strong cuppa to calm down. By this stage my BFF’s hubby had arrived and gave me the biggest teddy bear hug that he could possibly give me, just what I needed. We chatted for a while before going our separate ways. Well, the expensive wine came out that night, and for the next few too! I just wanted to get away and forget all about this crappy thing called BC. Tim had to break the news to my family, they were already prewarned, and it was decided that we would go down south for a few days, staying with my loving brother and family. They were amazing and spoilt me rotten. My sister in-law, niece and nephew organised to get all my favourite food and they took me to my favourite wineries. We had many D and M’s (a nurse needless to say) and they all helped get into a positive frame of mind to beat this crap. This is definitely what the doctor ordered and I needed. It was just a pity that the Eagles couldn’t win the Grand Final because that would have helped even more. The biopsies were done on the left boob the next week and thankfully they all came back clear. The one thing that I can take away from all of this crap is this message:
“When a free opportunity comes your way and you are invited to do something or to take a screening test, just do it! Do not hesitate or put it off as it could ultimately save your life! Early detection is definitely the key to curing the nasties of modern medicine!”

And so my Journey begins!